Day 3 Twentynine Palms RV Resort Twentynine Palms, California

I walked through the campground this morning to the office to extend our stay. Tim saw this bee swarm directly across from our site. It was about 7 inches across. We were not sure if they are the africanized bees or not…but we kept our distance. The bees travel in a swarm, surrounding the queen as they fly. They often stop to rest.

The campground has a lovely rose garden. Pink roses are my favorite and this bush was resplendent!

We drove through the park early this morning. It was another gorgeous day. The forecast was for 87 degrees and sunny. I’m not sure I would like it here much in the summer but there is something to be said for dry air with NO humidity, NO bugs, NO rain, and NO allergies!

Today we had a shorter off-road adventure planned. Old Dale Road passes through the Pinto Basin and into the Pinto Mountains where there are several abandoned mining operations. Tim researched this and there was a wide discrepancy in the reviews of this trail. Some Jeepers described it as moderately difficult in spots and others were more negative. There were several warnings at the trail-head.

Can you imagine taking your rental car off-road!?! Recovery/towing fees in excess of $1,000.00…yikes!!!

The first 10 miles of the trail was soft sand and a pleasant ride. It sure is pretty here!

We saw our first desert tortoise today. He was about 12 inches long.

As we climbed in elevation and into the mountains, the trail was rougher.

The road was narrow and skirted the mountain on a steep ledge. There were honestly times that I busied myself looking for lizards while Tim negotiated the winding way. I saw dozens of them. It wasn’t a good place to stop and take pictures though! Tim needed to concentrate on his driving. It was very warm today and we saw desert iguanas, chuckwallas, and all kinds of smaller lizards. Most quickly skittered away as we passed…elusive little critters!

We descended the mountains and made our way back to the highway.

Tim was able to watch the end of the NASCAR race and then we went to dinner in town at a good Mexican restaurant!